Always Left Behind
by AstrophobicChick
Summary: Basically how I expected Kol's death to be received by his siblings. Was meant to be a one shot but it may get carried on. From Kol's POV.


**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**Thanks to Steph for beta-ing again. :)**

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When Kol went to the Gilbert house to cut Jeremy's arms off, he wasn't expecting to be killed himself. With his own stake. It was funny, really. If he had pushed his arrogance aside, he would have realised how stupid it was to carry the one thing that could end his very existence in his jacket pocket. But this was Kol, and he didn't think like that.

So when the stake went into his heart, he was confused. For a brief moment, everything stopped, time stopped, Jeremy stopped, Elena stopped. The whole Universe could have stopped and he wouldn't have noticed the difference. Then the flames appeared at his chest, slowly eating their way through his clothes towards every inch of his body, causing him to scream. He screamed because this wasn't meant to happen, he wasn't meant to die like this. Not in this house, not surrounded by the two people that he loathed so much. Not now, not ever.

The flames licked up to his head and fully consumed him, making him stumble forward. He could see Jeremy backing away, Elena hiding behind the centre worktop, and he knew that this was real, that his life was actually going to end in this stupid house. A thousand years worth of existence gone to waste by two annoying, good for nothing kids.

He didn't even reach the hallway; instead he dropped like a rock onto his back and laid there, waiting for the blackness to come, to take him away from this embarrassment, to free him from this personal Hell. When it was finally over, when the pain had finally subsided and left him alone, he stood up and scanned his surroundings.

He was still on Earth but everything felt so wrong. It was too cold, too quiet and too lonely. The trees were dull and blurred, the sky was a strange shade of grey and the ground seemed to ripple beneath his footsteps. His ears pricked, listening to the silence and not liking it one bit. He half expected someone to jump out at him, maybe one of the many vampires or witches he'd killed in the past. Surely they would hate him for sending them here? He really couldn't blame them if they did.

Insanity was quickly creeping up on him and he squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to be anywhere but here. Even the Gilbert house would be a better option; at least there was life there. And when he finally opened his eyes again, he was standing in the hallway next to his body, which was now covered with a white blanket. He could see faint scorch marks on the panelled floor from where the flames burnt through the wood, and he snorted.

'At least they'll have to get a brand new floor now, unless they want to be forever reminded of their actions.' He lifted his head and froze, seeing his brother stood in the lounge, unable to get any closer to the body and having a heated argument with someone around the corner.

Moving slightly to his left, Kol saw Elena, Caroline and Bonnie all standing in the doorway, all of them with their eyes fixed on Klaus.

'He's my brother. Let me see him!'

Bonnie stepped forward, stopping just in front of the invisible barrier and shook her head.

'You can't leave yet. We all know that your first move won't be to see Kol. You'll be after Elena and Jeremy before you can say Hybrid, and I won't let that happen.'

'You think that this will keep me restrained forever? It won't. And I have a right to be there for my brother! I couldn't give a damn about anyone else right now.' He threw himself repeatedly at the barrier, growling louder and louder in frustration when he simply rebounded each and every time. 'I swear to God, Bonnie. Let me out. NOW.'

Kol was surprised at how angry his brother was. A part of him thought that Nik would be happy at his death. He was finally rid of his annoying little brother, after all. Kol was the one that caused him nothing but trouble and irritation. But here he was, shouting and screaming at Bonnie to take the barrier down and let him be with Kol's body, which she finally did.

Klaus lunged forward and ripped the sheet away impatiently before pulling his younger brother into his arms. He swept his gaze over Kol's burnt torso and growled loudly, lifting one hand to brush a strand of hair off the younger Original's forehead.

'I'm sorry, brother. I had no idea that they were planning to do this, I promise.' He murmured quietly, pulling Kol fully into his lap as he sat awkwardly on the floor, his back to everyone. 'It wasn't meant to end like this.'

Ghost Kol stood there, unable to take his eyes away from the scene in front of him. Nik had never been like this when he was alive, not since they were turned into vampires anyway. His relationship with his brother always seemed strained, and it only worsened over the years, resulting in Kol being daggered many times by his older brother. Looking back, all the fights with Nik seemed pointless. Most of them were over petty subjects such as girls, Nik's paintings and Kol's inability to tidy up after himself. Nothing serious, nothing worth getting daggered over. But then this was Nik, and a part of Kol loved winding his older brother up, making him snap and chase him around whatever country they resided in at the time.

Taking a step forward, Kol placed his hand on Nik's head, knowing full well that his brother wouldn't be able to feel it, but wanting to do it anyway in a bid to be closer to him. 'I know it wasn't you, brother. I know.'

He stood there with Nik and his body until an apprehensive Bonnie walked towards them. 'We really need to move him, Klaus. He can't stay here… And I doubt Kol wants to be here any longer than he has to be.'

Klaus ignored her, carefully getting to his feet with Kol still held securely against his chest. He carried his brother straight out of the house without a backwards glance to anyone., having nothing more to say. What else mattered? His brother was dead, his world was crumbling around him and he didn't know how to stop it.

Ghost Kol followed quickly, not wanting to let Nik or his body out of his sight. What would Nik do now? Would he just dump the body somewhere? Would he lie to his siblings and say that Kol had run away? Or would he tell them the truth?

He fell into step beside his brother and watched as a few stray tears ran down Nik's cheeks, dropping off his chin and landing on his Kol's floppy locks.

'I never thought I would see the day where you would cry over me, brother.' He said, desperately wishing that Nik could hear him, that he could offer his brother some sort of comfort right now. But what would he even say? Oh hey, Nik, it's okay. Don't cry. It's not so bad over here. Just lonely, and quiet, and cold…. No, that would hardly help his brother's mood or guilt. Maybe keeping quiet was the best thing to do after all. Nik didn't know what the other side was like, and he didn't have to.

Sometimes ignorance was bliss.

They reached the Manor and Kol hesitated. Rebekah was probably inside, as was Elijah. How would they respond to the news about his death? Or did they already know? Did he really need to see his sister break down over his body? Or Elijah look at it with disappointment in his eyes?

Before he could make a decision, he heard the front door get flung open and saw Rebekah fly out, skidding to a stop in front of Nik, her eyes on the body in his arms.

'No. No. No. It can't be - .' She shook her head several times, flicking her gaze between Nik and the body. 'He can't be -. He can't be dead, Nik, he just can't.'

Kol didn't want to see anymore, but he just couldn't tear his eyes away. It was the most surreal thing in the world. It was like watching a car crash, except the car was his body, and he was dead. He watched as Rebekah shoved Nik, blaming him for letting this happen, ripping into him about how much he hated Kol and how he was probably secretly pleased that Kol was finally gone. She took the body from his arms and buried her face into the singed hair, looking utterly distraught.

Finally she looked up at Nik, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. 'This is you! You killed him. You've always hated Kol and now he's dead! Where were you when he needed you? Hm? Where?'

Nik growled in warning and took a step towards her, 'Where were you, little sister? I didn't see you at that house. In fact, the only one that was there was me. I went to him, I carried his body back here and you're blaming me?!'

'You've never liked him, Nik! He was always the burden to you and that's why you kept him daggered for so long. Admit it!' She tightened her grip on Kol's body, slowly backing towards the Manor.

'Fine. I admit it, he was easier to control when he was daggered. But you -' He lowered his voice and glared harder, '- you could have un-daggered him at any time and you didn't. You left him in that coffin, just like I did, and just like Elijah did. So don't play the innocent party in all of this, Rebekah!'

Kol stood there and watched his siblings lay into each other, both of them extremely red faced and sweating. He wished Elijah would appear and break them both up before things got out of hand, and was secretly glad when Rebekah turned and stalked into the Manor, still clinging onto his body.


End file.
